Advantages …
Three years after its implementation, did teachers manage to adapt to it? “”At the start, I was a little skeptical to tell myself that we completely change this calendar“, says Tommy Berben, professor of science in the lower degree of the Sainte-Begge Institute of Andenne.”But even if it is true that the periods between the holidays are sometimes long – between 6 and 8 weeks – I finally find that there is a much more regular rhythm. “
For the teacher, this regularity also brings more facilitated in terms of organization. “”Before the reform, I experienced years when we sometimes had 3 weeks of lessons, followed by a breakdown. Then we taught for 8 weeks, then went to 4 weeks. There was really a huge gap, so it was very complicated to plan the material“He recalls.
The science teacher also says he is satisfied with the new distribution of leave, which he said is now more balanced. “”I have been teaching for 13 years, and I have always found that the summer holidays were far too long.“Same thing with regard to leave during the school year.”Before, I noticed that many of my students were doing internships or leaving skiing in Carnival for example. As they only had one week each time, they did not really know how to rest.“
Teaching: Why does Valérie Glatigny want to put the trunk in pause?
… And disadvantages
Sigrid Noirfalisse, English teacher at the Royal Athenaeum of Huy, says he is more shared about the reform. “”As a teacher, two weeks are necessary to recover since the job requires a lot of energy. But in terms of students, on the other hand, I find that it is not suitable because these 15 days are followed by a week during which we cannot question the students. In the head of young people, these are three weeks of leave“She says.
Some teachers opposed to the reform of school rhythms also point to another problem. By resuming the lessons after two weeks instead of a previously, the students would experience more difficulty in “getting back in the bath”. “”Even if the number of days off is the same, it really feels like you are missing time since it is necessary to restart the students each time when they come back from vacation. Before, a week of leave required 2 or 3 days of recovery. Now, 15 days of leave plus the week you cannot question, it requires a full week of stimulus. We lose almost a month with each leave“, She deplores. An opinion that Tommy Berben does not personally share.”Honestly, I don’t see a difference. Students do not become much more tired and do not necessarily forget the material because two weeks ago“He explains.
However, the teacher admits the existence of a negative point to this new calendar. “”Certain course periods are sometimes a bit long. It is much more complicated to keep students eight weeks than hold them for three weeks as we sometimes had before. Some days of the last week of lessons, we sometimes feel that it is the week too much, that the pace is less sustained.“
Between Valérie Glatigny and Elisabeth Degryse, the reports are complicated, especially in the period of budgetary discussions
A slight adaptation of the calendar for 2025-2026
The overhaul of the FWB school calendar has also led to a desynchronization with the rhythm of Flemish schools, posing difficulties for families whose children are educated in the various linguistic communities. To overcome this problem, at least in part, a slight adaptation was adopted for this 2025-2026 school year. Thus, French -speaking and Flemish schools will share a week of leave during the relaxation vacation (carnival).
This year, the autumn leave (Toussaint) will take place from October 20 to 31, the winter holidays (Christmas) From December 22 to January 2, the relaxation leave (Carnival) from February 16 to 27 and spring vacation (Easter) from April 27 to May 8.